Do you think Vitaly Petrov has done enough to keep his seat for 2011? Or will a title sponsor like MasterCard allow either Klien, Heidfeld, Kobayashi- or even Kimi Raikkonen to race in the yellow wasp? Is his inconsistency going to cost him another shot with the Enstone team?

I think he’s doing just fine. He was on Kubica’s pace in Silverstone before an engine seizure killed his chances in qualifying. He crossed the line in Germany within sight of Kubica. He took fifth in Hungary. And it seems to be easy to forget his showing in Turkey. Another decent points haul or two, and it should be enough. He’s apparently been told by the team that they expect him to be racing alongside Nico Hulkenberg on a regular basis. So far, he’s doing quite well on that count.

And of course he’s going to be off Kubica’s pace – Kubica is one of the highest-rated drivers in the championship. You might as well have asked him to match Alonso.

I think he at least deserves another season. With limited in-season testing it’s hard to base a drivers worth on just one season of racing. I like Petrov – he’s got a positive attitude, is aggressive on track, makes lightning starts and has a decent raw pace. Is he the next big thing? No, but I think he could hold down a seat for a few years at least.

It will all depend on how patient Renault are prepared to be with him. They’ve shown in recent years that they’re more than happy to bring rookies into F1 but not able and/or prepared to help them further their careers beyond that first break.